I knock down pins

The calendar says February 14th and how ironic that I am headed home on Valentine’s Day to see my lovely girlfriend. Up until this point though in 2012 I have been home for only 6 full days. This is the price I pay for doing what I love, being away from friends, family, & loved ones. I hope they understand because I love this game also. I have loved this game ever since I was 11 years old when I wanted to spend every minute I could doing it.

It took 20 years but in these 29 days of 2012 that I have been away from my friends and family a dream was realized. On January 29th I won the USBC Masters and became a major champion. It has been a couple weeks now and I believe that it is starting to sink in. I had dreamt about winning a PBA Tour event when I was little, but when I started competing in events like the Masters in college I started dreaming about taking home a major championship.

It wasn’t until I stopped dreaming that I realized my goal could become a reality.

I have been working very hard on my game for a long time and I feel that I am on top of my game. Although in bowling, you are only as good as what is going on between your ears. My state of mind has changed of late, maybe its happiness, maybe its confidence, maybe clarity but either way things are coming into perspective and good things are happening.

I knew that January 29th was going to be a different than times before; I had a good feeling about it coming into the day. I wasn’t worried about TV, the crowd, or even my opponents. It felt like it was just the ball and I. It may sound easy but it certainly takes previous failures in that environment to ignore everything and get into a zone.

My love affair with bowling has always been one of love & hate. It has been a very long process getting to this point in my career. I have dealt with many, many defeats and soul-searching ventures along the way. Losing is a horrible feeling but I learned a hell of a lot from it and now that I am at the top of the mountain and I don’t want to come down anytime soon.

I recently traveled to Europe for the 42^nd edition of the BallMaster Open. The tournament has been world renowned for many years and is currently residing as a major event on the European Tour as well as a designated as the first stop of the year on the World Bowling Tour (WBT).

There is nothing easy about this event. Nothing.

The setting is Helsinki, Finland in January. Rarely ever will the temperature even reach the freezing point at this time of the year. This is also an 8-hour time change to adjust to that over a long weekend is easier said than done.

The bowling center is Tali Bowl, a 36-lane center known for tough conditions and poor pin carry.

The prestige associated with this event adds to the pressure and allure of it all. There are also some bonuses along the way if you are so fortunate. In this year’s event a 300-game in the final stages would net you a Suzuki Motorcycle valued at $26,000. Do not think you will go unnoticed shooting 300 like your local league. The 9^th strike and each one after will be announced over the intercom system followed by your name and how many more strikes you need (like I can’t count), certainly a nerve wrecking experience. Even though 600+ games were thrown in the finals by some of the world’s best, everyone seemed to succumb to the pressure and could not finish the job.

Did I mention that finals day consists of an 8-game round, followed by a 15-game round-robin block, followed by a stepladder?

This type of format can put a hurt on some of the best competitors, mentally & physically and I was no exception. The morning started really well and after 8 games I found myself in the lead. The next 8 things were going just as smoothly. 827 in games 4,5,6 of match play separated me from the field.

After a short break, with 7 games remaining, the wheels really started to fall off. The lanes started to get ugly, the amount of games were beating up my thumb, the lack of sleep was catching up to me physically and mentally and my wrist started feeling strained from over compensating.  Luckily I had built such a lead all I needed to do was hold on, and that is not a great attitude to have but I didn’t have much left in the tank.

Bright eyed & Bushy-tailed

Despite having the high average in the field, I lost most of my matches late and crawled into the finish line, qualifying 3^rd. I popped two ibuprofens and was actually feeling good about the stepladder since I knew that they would be re-oiling for the finals and my 505T was rolling great on the fresh.

I struck in the 9^th and 10^th to shut out Dominic Barrett in Match 1. In match 2 I knew I was going to have all I could handle with two-time defending champion Mika Koivuniemi (what is he not defending this year?). I carried the momentum over from match one and started with the first 8 strikes. I think the sound of motorcycle got in my ear and I split in the 9^th.  I had thought I had not only cost myself the bike but the tournament but Mika split on the same lane in the 10^th and I was on my way to the title match.

One of my best friends since high school Bill O’Neill was on top of the stepladder. I made a couple errant shots including a getting a little too aggressive in the 10^th frame while Bill struck out in the 9^th and 10^th and I had to settle for 2^nd. He really bowled a great game considering he only received 4 balls practice before the match started.

14-hours after I had arrived at the bowling center and 26 games later the day was over. It felt like I had pulled an all-nighter in the old days of the midnight marathons back in New York. In fact, on the way back to the hotel that night I even spoke about a shot I saw thrown the day before and I had to be corrected “Mike, that was today”. Wow, it had been a long day!

The BallMaster is a world-class tournament and after the grueling format and the pain and the anxiety, you will better believe I will be back next year to top this year’s finish and take home the trophy, and maybe even a bike. 

chefdrewsauce asked: Mike, question for yuh. I think i might have some pitch problems, only been bowling since summer but im doing "outstanding", Ive been told i have a "michael fagan like release" so ive been looking up to you a lot. Im feeling pressure on my finger nails instead of the pads of my finger when i grasp my ball. i feel it on my pads at the end of the release. its like my fingers and thumb are pointing at each other in the ball, any suggestions?

Anytime you feel pressure on one part of your finger or thumb the answer is to usually adjust the pitch to relieve stress from that spot. I would recommend pitching your fingers further away to take some pressure off your finger nails. Good Luck

2011 should have happened a long time ago!

What I mean by that is 2011 was sort of a rebuilding year for me. I started off the year with a bunch of mediocre finishes but nothing note worthy. After the PBA season concluded in April I had a heart to heart talk with myself. I said, self, you are going to have to do better. But how? I know there is another level but how can I step my game up to it?

I have been bowling professionally for a long time now and I feel that I have been progressively getting better but I have yet to been able to take my game to the level of a Chris Barnes or a Tommy Jones. The problem was figuring out what was holding me back. 

The two events that really shed light on what was going on with me was the US Open & Tournament of Champions. Both events were long formats and both events I made it through to the match play. Respectable, but making match play is not enough for me anymore. After bowling these two 24-game round robin finals and not making any impact on the leader board, I realized what I was doing, or not doing. I was not making enough quality shots. 

Sounds simple but when you assume that you are the constant in the equation and you find out you are a variable, it can really open your eyes. I was always looking for that next new ball or that trick adjustment that will make me leap to the top. Well, unfortunately it doesn’t work that way. 

In June, I took a trip out to Orange County, California to enlist the help of coaching guru Mark Baker. We spent a couple hours together on the lanes & analyzing video footage. I believe that this coaching session was the most beneficial thing I did for my game all year. We keyed on some basics but mostly just focused on eliminating what was causing bad shots. 

The next couple months, there were no major tournaments so I was able to really work on what we went over and make it part of my normal routine. When Fall came around, the schedule was packed with events and I felt good about the changes we had made. The results started to show right away. 9th in Korea, 2nd in Thailand, Win at the Weber Cup, 2nd in Australia, 3 TV finals at the World Series of Bowling, & 4th Place in Qatar to finish 2011. 

Although I did not win any singles tournaments in 2011, I would still consider the year a success. My career goals are to be the PBA Player of the Year and become a member of the PBA Hall of Fame. This year made me believe that these two goals are attainable. 

I understand that the process of reaching these goals is long and hard. I am committed to the process of improvement. Focusing on the process of getting better, making better shots, making better decisions and learning from mistakes will lead to wins and hopefully, The Hall of Fame.

Hope everyone has a great holiday season. 

Catching up had a nice run. For many years people enjoyed getting together and talking about current events in their lives. Some like to relive experiences and converse with each other while enjoying their favorite beverage or roasting marshmallows by a warm fire. 

Well, those days are over folks.

Social networks have put a hurt to catching up with old friends because if your friends are diligent enough, they can effectively keep you up to speed on a sub-hourly basis.  

Actual Re-enactment (not really)

-So what you been up to? 

-I swam with sharks Tuesday 

-Yeah, I saw that.  

-What you been up to? 

-I had PB&J for lunch 

-No way, I had PB&J for lunch too 

-Yeah I know, you posted a picture of it and it looked good. So I made one for myself 

If you find this happening to you, try this. Do something, anything at all. Then don’t post it on Facebook. I repeat, do NOT post it on Facebook. Then when you see people or talk to them on the phone, tell them about it. Results may vary. 

I will never pass up on the opportunity to see old friends, even if I know more than I really need to know about them. I guess we are going to have to figure out other things to talk about. We could always discuss future plans to post on Facebook about the things we have yet to do.

That’s almost 2 full seasons of “24”.  Imagine if Jack Bauer had 41 hours, the things he would do. He would stop a little less than twice as much terrorism, while not sleeping, eating, and certainly never using the bathroom. Jack Bauer has trained his kidneys to cease function when there is a terrorist activity near by. And almost all of this would certainly happen in Los Angeles so Jack wouldn’t have to travel.

Unfortunately I do have to travel and 41 hours is how long my trip is. Ironically, I did take a 41 hour trip once before in my life. I drove cross-country for, believe it or not, bowling. That was a straight shot, Route 80, coast-to-coast. This time I am traveling at a faster speed but a bit out of the way. It would be like driving from Florida to California via Maine.

Today, or more appropriately, these days, I am making my way from the Weber Cup in Barnsley, England to Rooty Hill, Australia for the Australian Masters. I am not the only one doing this journey. Mika Koivuniemi, Tommy Jones & Osku Palermaa are on the same schedule. I choose, in the interest of saving multiple thousands of dollars, to take the long(est) way.

My invitation to the Weber Cup came after my trip was booked to Australia so I had to re-route the ticket. That involved me going back through the U.S. to get there. Manchester to New York to Los Angeles to Sydney works out to about 41 hours, door-to-door.

I got to find a few things to keep me busy. I wrote this blog, that killed about 20 minutes. Cool, now what? I could try to fall into a coma. Those usually are shorter than 41 hours, but that doesn’t work well with the whole changing planes thing. Oh well I’ll figure it out; luckily my seat on the plane (economy) has a place to charge my iPhone. Angry Birds doesn’t stand a chance. 

In my last blog I spoke about the day we had upon arrival to Thailand. Well that is well and good but opposed to what everyone thinks, I was not there for a vacation. I actually had to compete. 

The format was as follows:

3-Game Squads on the same pair of lanes. 

9 Games is needed to have an official score. The top 3 blocks shot by each player would count as their qualifying total. Unlimited re-entries allowed. 

Unlimited re-entries allowed, but I was determined to make it quickly.  $120 every squad plus a $170 registration fee can add up quick. I kept my goal and ended up only bowling in 5 squads. 

My first squad was saved with a 279 the last game for 720. My 2nd and 3rd squads were 650 and 690, which did not end up factoring in my cumulative total. Then it happened! I realized I had a 505A with me. 

I had forgot about this ball completely because the week before in Korea there was so much oil on the lane it never left the locker room. 

The 505A came out on the 2nd squad after the re-oil and it was pretty stellar. For the first time it what seemed like a long time I could throw the ball normal. Just throw the ball like I like to and it will work, novel concept right? I had 740 the final set, which could have been quite a bit more. A couple ringing 10s, a pocket 7-10, and one wayward shot were the only real blemishes. 

I added another 740 set with the 505A coming out the final game for 269 to secure my spot into the top 8. The top 8 received a bye into the round of 20, which seeded me past all of the rounds on Thursday. 

Friday came along and it was 6 games for all the marbles. I was determined not to look at the scoreboard throughout the entire round. I knew my ball reaction was good enough and just wanted to focus on executing. 

I made some regrettable shots during the round and in lieu of Belmo shooting 300 the last game to leap frog the field I qualified 2nd for the TV finals. I was a little disappointed at the time because I knew I had the reaction to lead and the leader would have to be beaten twice in the step ladder format. A beyond huge advantage. 

I am working on getting some pictures/videos from the TV finals because what I have to say about it will not give the set and production justice. Over the top is the best way to describe it. We were set up in the middle of a mall where we were being simulcast on a 25 foot projection screen. Thai dancers and cheering musical sections kept us occupied in between matches. After taking it all in, I put it all in the back of my mind and focused purely on doing what I came to do, win the event. 

My first match was against the red hot Ryan Ciminelli. Kudos to Ryan being his first international event of any kind and making it this far. He was dominating the step-ladder up until that point and I knew I would have my work cut out for me. 

The match was really all his the first 5 frames. I just kept telling myself not to give up and he made a couple questionable shots in the 9th & 10th to give me a chance. I was definitely nervous but I stepped up in the 10th and made the shot to clinch the match. I have to give thanks to Tommy Jones, he gave me some advice about having Ryan finish first on the left lane before the match started. It ended up being the difference. Many bowlers will automatically choose to finish first to put the pressure on their opponent, but it feels good to have the ball in your hand and control your own destiny. 

Thailand PTT World Bowling Tour 2011 - Ryan Ciminelli vs Mike Fagan - YouTube

After making that shot to win the semi-final match everything just became clear to me in the final match. I felt loose, confident, and ready to take home the title. The lanes were slightly tighter after the re-oil, I moved about an arrow right and knew that my angles were going to be better for the final. The first game flew by and I barely thought about anything except execution. Next thing I knew I was standing up in the 10th frame with the first nine strikes. I was nervous but my blood wasn’t pumping quite as much as the do-or-die situation I was in earlier. I was able to stay focus, “Have Fun!”, as TJ yelled to me after the first one in the 10th, and get it done. 300 on TV, pretty freaking cool. 

Thailand PTT World Bowling Tour 2011 - Final Round Jason Belmonte vs Mike Fagan - game 1 - YouTube

Unfortunately for me, on a few accounts, one, the match was double elimination; two, me playing straight up the 2nd arrow really gave Belmo a clear path to the pocket for game 2; and three, now those mistakes from earlier in the day were really going to come back to haunt me. 

I got a little bit of transition in game 2, left a few 10-pins, and that was all she wrote. Jason bounced back with an absolutely flawless game in my opinion, every single shot was right on the money. His 300 to close out the event was truly a special moment. Just 10 mins earlier, he was hugging me over me shooting 300 and now I was repaying the favor. 

Thailand PTT World Bowling Tour 2011 - Final Round Jason Belmonte vs Mike Fagan - game 2 - YouTube

It was disappointing, of course, not to come out on top but to be a part of something that special and memorable, I will be able to hold on to that the rest of my life. I am glad that it came against one of my best friends where we could share the moment together. Jason is a great competitor and it kills me to see the PBA try and turn him into the “bad guy” because he was careless with a water bottle during a TV show. I stand behind him 100% and hope that it doesn’t tarnish his image as one of the true ambassadors in the sport of bowling. 

If you are still reading, thank you for coming this far. I tried to make this blog as concise as possible but the fact is I could have easily written 10 pages about Sept 30th, 2011 (Happy Birthday Emily!). Every detail of that day will stay with me the rest of my life and all I can say is, I can not wait until Thailand 2012!